Review of Brave (2012) by Gwhitta — 21 Jun 2012

People seem to be complaining about Pixar somehow letting themselves down by doing a formulaic Disney/fairytale Princess movie but I didn't see it that way at all. Yes, that's basically what it is. But first of all, what's wrong with that? And secondly, it's not as formulaic as I expected. There are many very familiar elements, as there are in all fairy tales, but what I loved was how Pixar found ways to put a fresh wrinkle on those elements.

Primarily, I loved the fact that here, for once, is a princess movie that absolutely does NOT rely on the princess falling in love with or being rescued by a handsome prince. I've always wondered why fairy tales so consistently teach young girls that they need a man to solve their problems for them. Many modern retellings of fairy tales do take a more contemporary approach by presenting a spunkier, more independent princess who doesn't need the handsome prince, but Brave deviates much further by not having a prince at all. Merida doesn't fall in love, doesn't meet the man of her dreams, because that's not what she needs and it's not what the movie is about. The movie's love story is between the girl and her mother - and how often do you see that? The movie, like Merida, is emotionally independent and follows its own path despite the traditional expectations placed upon it.

Other familiar elements are given fresh takes too. I love that the witch is not evil, she's simply just not very good at being a witch. Even though the movie is set in a romanticized fairy tale version of Scotland it felt very authentic to me. Certainly moreso than How To Train Your Dragon - which I also loved, but I couldn't get past the bizarre decision to have the faux-Nordic heroes speak like Scots, except for the hero who for some reason was American.

The movie also has more than its fair share of hilarious Pixar sight gags and character moments. Oh, and can I just say that I love how Pixar consistently casts ACTORS rather than falling victim to the celebrity-casting trap that so many animation studios do. I need to see it again (just found out there is a Dolby Atmos cinema here in town) but I think it might actually be my favorite Pixar movie already. I could find nothing wrong with it.